What are King Cakes?
The King Cake tradition stems from the 15th century when French farmers would buy baked goods but could not pay the baker until after harvest. The baker kept a yardstick and cut notches keeping count of what the farmer owed. Upon payment, the baker rewarded the farmer with a cake with a chickpea inside. Some say the custom has religious connections celebrating the Epiphany with a little porcelain Christ Child inside. The King Cake traditionally was served on “Little Christmas” or “Kings Day”, which are other names for the Feast of the Epiphany, celebrated on January 6. Since Epiphany comes on the twelth day of the Christmas celebration, it also became know as the Twelth Night. The cake was baked on Epiphany Eve and served the following afternoon to family and friends. King Cakes appear in Mobile during Mardi Gras season and today are enjoyed as a big Danish pastry with cream fruit filling sporting Mardi Gras colors of purple green and gold.
